Former presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush could not attend for health reasons, their spokesmen said. The elder Bush, who at 89 uses a wheelchair, rarely attends public events. His son, the 43rd president, is still recovering from a recent heart procedure, his spokesman said,

The absence of even a gesture of bipartisanship was a reminder of the enduring political legacy of the civil rights battles. Since Democrats led the passage of civil rights legislation that marchers pushed for in 1963, Republicans have struggled to recover with black voters, leaving a stark racial divide in American politics.

Or course, it's a blatant rewrite of history the actual blowback by conservative bloggers, media, and the general public has been quick to correct these misstatements.